Rights group says new video shows no rioting before troops killed Palestinian

Rights group B’Tselem on Tuesday released new video footage from multiple security cameras which it said proved that a young Palestinian shot dead in a northern West Bank city last week was fired at without provocation, and that no unrest or rioting was taking place as the incident unfolded.

The army had initially said soldiers had fired at stone throwers who attacked them during operational activity in Tulkarem on December 4.

But video footage released Sunday appeared to show that 22-year-old Muhammad Habali was shot in the back, and did not appear to be involved in any violent action before he was hit.

In response the IDF opened a military police investigation into the incident.

B’Tselem said new footage from several security cameras released Tuesday showed soldiers walking calmly along a road in the city until moments before the shooting. Palestinian residents stand around near Habali and appear calm as well.

Habali, who B’Tselem said suffered from a mental disability, is seen walking along the street holding a long stick under his arm.

The soldiers are then seen running to the side and apparently firing. Residents scatter and Habali, slow to leave the scene, falls to the ground.

B’Tselem said in a statement: “In response to reports on the incident, the army claimed that a riot had erupted at the scene, that dozens of Palestinians had hurled rocks and that soldiers used riot dispersal measures and later used live fire.

“The video footage and witness reports collected by B’Tselem show no signs of this: no riot, no rock throwing and no riot dispersal measures.”

The organization added that it did not trust the military’s investigation, calling it “simply the first stage in the cover-up of the killing, as has happened in thousands of past cases in which Palestinians were hurt.”

The IDF said its investigation was ongoing, but maintained that violent rioting had preceded the shooting.

AP contributed to this report.